


Clipped Wings to Keep Us From Flying

by JessKo



Series: Caged [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Armitage is Paired With Clone Thrawn, Blood and Gore, Body Modification, Canon-Typical Violence, Consentacles, Disguise, Eli Gets the Original, Fashion Disasters, Happy Ending, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Medical Experimentation, Minor Character Death, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Porn With Plot, Tentacles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2020-07-21 05:00:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19996264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessKo/pseuds/JessKo
Summary: Finally freed from his father's control, Armitage Hux is ready to begin his new life with Thrawn far away from the influence of the First Order. However, a surprise visit from Eli Vanto, who is searching for his past lover, could suddenly send them all right back into the lion's den.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Keto](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keto/gifts).



> Hello all! I know it has been a bit of time since part one, but late is better than never and I could not say no to making a sequel after bouncing some really fun ideas around with Keto. As always, their fantastic art is at the root of this all, check them out on Tumblr @ strength-through-order .

“...regret to inform you that the long-missing son of General Brendol Hux, Armitage Hux, has been found and pronounced dead as a result of a random shooting in Luprora capital city.” The holonews host droned on, a First Order Academy photograph of the slight man blinking on screen before the newscast changed topic. 

“I do not know why you insist on rewinding the recording, Thrawn. That is a horrible picture of me.” Armitage complained from his position on the bed, completely entwined in his lover’s blue arms as he leaned against his chest. 

“I am simply pleased by the fruits of our labor. We are both, now, finally free.” Thrawn responded, squeezing Armitage. 

The human tucked nearly shoulder length orange hair behind his ear, sighing softly. “Fine, but never let me within a meter of a tube of pomade again, alright?” Twirling a loose strand, he was glad he decided to grow it out, while Thrawn still preferred to keep his dark locks short. It would be better to not resemble that photograph at all, and the lines of colorful makeup he drew on his face when out of their home certainly helped as well. 

“Deal.” Thrawn conceded with a chuckle, moving his hand to gently clasp Armitage’s, the silk of his glove cool to the touch. Armitage could think of a few places he wished that grasp to be. It had been a busy week of weapons consultations, a necessity to keep their small personal defense technology business afloat, but not ideal, and thus he was in desperate need of some stress relief. 

To make his point known, Armitage rocked back against Thrawn, and instantly felt a writhing sensation against his rear, straining through their undershorts. He clicked his tongue, tilting his head up to find himself gazing up into blazing red eyes. A dark eyebrow quirked, and that’s all it took. 

Sliding down as Armitage twisted around to straddle the Chiss’s hips, Thrawn let out a keening sound that made Armitage’s cock throb in anticipation. “Do you mind if I…” The human whispered, taking a tight grip of Thrawn’s hips. 

“Please… You know what I need.” 

Now Armitage was really seeing red, tugging at Thrawn’s shorts to rip them away in one motion, leaving them abandoned at Thrawn’s knees for the Chiss to shimmy off. Then, his fingers were circling Thrawn’s slip, dipping in a bit before pulling out over and over, just teasing at sensitive pink flesh. Now, the Chiss growled, bucking his hips suddenly as he rid himself of the shorts, and Armitage’s hand was taken inside where a tangle of tentacles grabbed at his wrist, fighting for friction and purchase. 

“Been too long.” Armitage mused, giving the base of a lucky tendril a firm squeeze, eliciting a wanton moan from Thrawn who wrapped his arms even tighter around Armitage, pulling him closer. Lowered, Armitage brought his lips to trace the form of Thrawn’s collarbone, peppering the skin at first with delicate kisses, but as he traveled up the Chiss’ neck, he kissed with more intensity. A wake of purple bites followed where his mouth went, eventually making contact with Thrawn’s own thin lips. The slightly sharper incisors the Chiss had bit Armitage’s lower lip, yanking upwards and then Thrawn’s hands were tangled in Armitages’ hair, pulling him just millimeters away. “Hungry.” He whispered before releasing, their teeth clashing as they twisted tongues, Armitage now pumping along the base of the tendrils as several wrapped around his forearm, coating it in magenta slick. 

Smirking, and taking advantage of Thrawn’s more delicate hands as the kiss softened, the men catching their breath, Armitage sat up. Moving forward, his tenting shorts soon butted against Thrawn’s chin. “Then let me feed you.” 

The sound that came from Thrawn could be described as many things, Armitage decided on needy and base and he tensed just from the feelings it stirred deep within him, the man practically growling in reply as he awkwardly removed his own undergarments. Had the circumstances been different, Thrawn might have chuckled at the blundering but right now all he could feel was heat and desire. As Armitage’s pink cockhead pressed against his mouth, Thrawn parted his lips. 

With a satisfied hum, Armitage slid into the wet heat of Thrawn’s mouth, one of the few warm places on the Chiss. His hand once again busy fingering the many tendrils grasping out, Armitage rocked his hips to a slow rhythm, allowing Thrawn to expertly tonge him. 

“You’re far too good at this.” Armitage noted breathily, to which Thrawn’s lips curled up in a full smile, his lips already puffy and swollen wrapped around his member. “And far too pretty.” 

With a second hand, Armitage doubled his efforts blindly on the tentacles behind him and Thrawn purred around his dick, the vibrations delightful. Quickening his pace as he began to come closer to orgasm, Armitage lost the will to speak and just panted, throwing his head back with his eyes shut. Thrawn lifted his head from the bed to take Armitage down to the hilt, sucking firmly and reaching up to cup his asscheeks. With a glob of his own seed on his fingers, Thrawn massaged Armitage’s rim, soon pressing a single digit into his entrance. The combined pressure as Thrawn held him in place fully inserted into his mouth with a finger penetrating him pushed Armitage over the edge, coming straight into the back of Thrawn’s mouth with a stuttering cry of the Chiss’s name. 

Giving the human a chance to recover, Thrawn soon took a more firm hold of Armitage, pulling his finger from his tight rim. “My turn.” The Chiss said softly, to which Armitage nodded, lowering himself without Thrawn even needing to exert force. Instantly, the tendrils were on him with renewed energy, some slapping against pale cheeks with a wet smack while others probed at his entrance. Armitage loved this part the most, well Thrawn was what he loved above all else, but the feeling of fullness and just total domination(and mystery as even Thrawn was not entirely in control of the appendages) that the tentacles offered was inconceivably perfect. It was not something they had done at first, but rather a natural progression as such things went and there was no way either man would turn back now. 

Tonight, the tentacles decided to be quite greedy, two slipping inside of him at once with a slow lurch, stretching Armitage almost painfully, but the sensation was drowned out with pleasure as another tentacle slid between his thighs, nudging against his balls. His cock twitching to life, Armitage murmured in pleasure as he sank back further against Thrawn, soon cocooned in his lap. 

“Stunning…” Thrawn uttered, using his arms to raise his upper body to press his face into the soft pudge of Armitage’s belly. A healthy and consistent diet had reaped many pleasant benefits, this being one of them. Inhaling Armitage’s scent deeply, Thrawn placed a cool chiss to the trail of orange fuzz, lapping at the slight sheen of sweat caught in it. Armitage’s dick rose to full attention to bob against him, the subtle lifting and falling of Armitage from the thrusting tentacles penetrating deeper and deeper into him causing it to move. Slicking a hand, Thrawn moved it from his lover’s side and took his cock into his hand, pumping it at a steady pace and rubbing circles into the head. 

Coming undone, all Armitage could do was sigh as the tentacles bottomed out, squirming within him and rubbing against all the right places, the fullness a comfortable stretch. This stretch was expanded further as Thrawn came, the grip on Armitage’s member tightening the only warning he had. Then, cold thick fluid exploded into him, coating every inch it reached in bright pink. As the come dripped down onto Thrawn, Armitage could not help but admire the exquisite view, Thrawn turning his head to look up at Armitage with a dopey smile and hooded eyes as the tendrils lazily pulled out, flopping down against the Chiss’s thigh. 

As his hand slowed down, Armitage placed his own over the Chiss’s, careful not to disrupt the tender healing skin beneath the gloves as he guided Thrawn to milk another orgasm from his member. This second orgasm send strands of white seed arcing to decorate Thrawn’s chest and shoulders. When it came to making a mess, no act was more effective than making love. Well, there was the smoothie incidence, but this was a close second. 

A year together had taught the duo many lessons, and one of them had been to keep clean sheets and towels in their bedroom. With a soft sigh, Armitage dismounted from his position, sitting on his heels for a few moments before raising Thrawn’s knuckles to his lips for a soft kiss. “I love you.” 

“And I, you.” Thrawn replied in an airy tone. Slipping out of bed, Armitage gathered towels and set to work cleaning them off, Thrawn then raising to his feet to help to redress the bed. As the final blanket was set down, he came behind Armitage to pull him into a reverse hug, his hands resting on the man’s belly as he kissed the back of his neck. Armitage shivered, pressing back against Thrawn. Then, he yawned. 

“It is time to rest.” Thrawn said unnecessarily. 

“Only if you’ll join me.” Armitage added, another unneeded request but one he would still ask. 

Thrawn chuckled, scooping Armitage into his arms, causing him to startle for just a moment. “There is no other place I’d like to be than in your arms.” 

Armitage rolled his eyes. “Well, the situation is currently in reverse. Put me down and we can-” 

A sharp knock at the door interrupted the lovers. Armitage whispered to Thrawn. “Just ignore it and they will go away.” A few seconds of silence passed, and Thrawn laid Armitage in bed, assuming the visitor had gotten the message. 

But then, there was another knock, louder and longer. “Hello? I don’t mean you any harm.” 

Armitage frowned, rolling right back out of bed and stepping into long abandoned pants tossed over the back of a chair. 

“Persistent.” Thrawn offered as he pulled shorts on, the only other article in sight. 

Even more knocking came. Armitage crouched under the bed for a holdout blaster. Usually when someone announced harmlessness, they meant the opposite. Thrawn did the same. 

Approaching the door, Armitage finally responded as he opened the door only half way. Thrawn stood protectively behind his partner. “What do you want? It’s late and I sure as hell did not schedule any consultations at this hour!” 

Standing on their patio was a human male, a good bit past middle aged but not elderly either, his dark wavy hair peppered with grey and thin wrinkles framing his tan facial features. At first, he glared at Armitage, but then his attention snapped to Thrawn and he could not break his gaze. Eyes blown wide, he whistled under his breath. “Stars, it’s really you.” 

“Excuse me?” Armitage replied sourly with half a mind to slam the door shut. It could not be good news that this man recognized Thrawn, whose identity they had worked quite hard to keep under wraps alongside his won. At least, he figured, the recognition was not on him. This was still a tentative situation. 

“You’ve not aged a day.” The human mused, seeming to ignore Armitage. “Thrawn…” 

Raising his blaster, Thrawn delivered a single blue ringed shot to the man’s chest, causing the human to crumple to the floor. 

“Bring him inside.” Thrawn murmured, turning away. 

“Do you know him?” Armitage asked, now utterly confused. Yes, this was a very tentative, and probably bad, situation. 

“No, but I don’t want someone who so casually throws my real name out to be on the streets.” Thrawn replied, clearing pillows from the couch as Armitage struggled to drag the man inside. Thrawn came over to assist him, getting the unconscious man settled on the couch. 

“He doesn’t look to be First Order.” Armitage commented, kneeling beside the man to raid his pockets. He came out with some credits and a small blaster unlike any he’d ever seen before, however it did bear some resemblance to his father’s prototypes. This was definitely not good. 

Thrawn was also unsettled by the weapon, turning it over in his gloved hands. “We should bind him, just in case he is with your father.” 

“I just hope he did not send a transmission of suspicion of our presence. The body we made should have been more than enough to convince him but…” 

Thrawn placed a reassuring hand on Armitage’s back. “It was enough. I am sure there is a logical explanation for all of this.” 

Looking over the man, Armitage exhaled. “I hope so. We just settled in here… Not sure I have it in me to hustle us off world again.” 

“We will do what we must.” Thrawn provided. “But yes, it would be nice to finally have a home. I thought this could be it…” 

“You are my home.” Armitage cooed, hating to see such a deep frown on Thrawn’s face. 

Thrawn could not help but to soften his expression when Armitage nuzzled into him, but he could still feel his raised heartbeat. They could very well be in grave danger because of this agent and would need to remain alert. Hesitantly, they broke their embrace and set to work securing their prisoner. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for the plot to kick in!

Thrawn and Armitage sat on the couch across from the man they had captured, holding barely sipped mugs of warm taurine tea. Bound to a chair, the human was slumped against the restraints. His breathing began to quicken, and the sleep deprived men startled a bit. It was time to get answers. 

The man groaned, blinking his eyes open. “Ugh… My chest hurts…” He tried to bring a hand up to, presumably, wipe the fallen hair from his eyes, but found his arms tied to the arms of the chair with leather belts, improvised from the closet. “What the hell?” 

Raising his head, and shaking it to get a better view, the man found himself staring at Thrawn and… another human. They were sitting close together, too close. A pit quickly grew in his stomach. “Thrawn?” 

“That is my name.” The Chiss replied coldly. “What is yours?” 

The human’s mouth hung open for a moment, totally shocked. “What do you mean? You didn’t forget me, did you?” There was desperation in the man’s voice, only that egging Thrawn to reply further rather than allow Armitage his onslaught of questions just yet. 

“I am afraid we have never met. Again, I ask, what is your name?” 

Frowning, the human replied with a disappointed but firm tone. “Eli Vanto, former Admiral of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force.” 

Now this got both of their attentions. 

“How are we to believe you are connected to the Chiss?” Armitage now pressed, unable to hold back further. “No human has recorded contact with the Chiss.” 

Eli sighed, knowing he was in for the long haul now. “That’s because its not on the records. Back when I was Thrawn’s aide, the real Thrawn, he sent me away from the empire to the Chiss for… I had a project to do.” 

Eli paused, and saw that is audience was not convinced. He probably should have taken a CEDF uniform with him, he figured. “Look at my blaster, that’s not Imperial tech.” 

“Looks a lot like my father’s prototypes, actually.” Armitage retorted. 

“Impossible!” Eli cried out. “Unless, of course…” He looked over Thrawn, his mind running through reasons why the Chiss was so young. “He had a source. Where are you from?” 

Thrawn hesitated to answer, but Armitage gave him a sympathetic look. Perhaps this Eli Vanto was truly who he said, and not one of Brendol’s agents. 

“I am a clone of the former Grand Admiral you speak of.” 

Eli’s mind raced, needing more information. “A clone requires an original copy, of course! Where is he?” His eyes shone bright, anticipation and excitement showing in his features. 

Thrawn’s expression was not nearly as positive as he thought about his first days of sentience. “I am unsure, I never saw just what I was copied from. I assume that it was from a found scrap of genetic material.” 

“Takes more than a few hair follicles to make a clone.” Eli responded, mood faltering but not killed. “We need to go to where you were, erm, born and see what is there!” 

“Wait a minute.” Armitage interjected. “First, why should we help you? And second, I highly doubt that my father has what you are looking for. I’d have found it when I had full access to the house.” It seemed this Eli had a sort of pipe dream of locating his former superior in one piece. If his memory served him well, which it usually did, the original Thrawn was long gone, shot into hyperspace in a destroyed vessel. 

Eli finally frowned. “Are you sure you had full access?” 

Armitage shook his head. “Not certain, but fairly so.” 

“As for why you should help me.” Eli continued. “Should he have Thrawn, a key to Chiss technology that far surpasses our own in many respects, as well as a wealth of strategic genius, your Father is a threat to the galaxy as we know it.” 

“That is what I was supposed to be.” Thrawn rebutted, crossing his arms after setting down his tea. “The key to the unification of the galaxy under the First Order. I studied Thrawn for my entire life, learning his strategies and tactics.” 

“But not Chiss weapons.” Eli replied, squirming in the tight bonds. 

“Yes, not Chiss weapons. I was not aware of his dabbling in creating prototypes until I gained my freedom.” 

“And then… Oh shit.” Armitage swore. “We sold them to pirates and scoundrels.” 

“You did what?” Eli boomed, leaning so far that the chair tipped over, landing with a clatter. 

“We were quite desperate, and unaware of the consequences.” Thrawn added, raising up to right the chair. He made no move to untie Eli, and Eli did not request to be freed. 

“They were only prototypes, nothing finalized.” Armitage offered, drinking down all of the tea at once. Eli hardly calmed down. 

“First Order. Don’t tell me, you’re the lost Hux.” 

Armitage sunk lower into the couch. “In the flesh.” 

“Figured the death was a fake.” Eli gleaned, slowly starting to loose his rage. 

“Like Thrawn said, we were desperate.” 

“Desperate enough to help save the galaxy from your father?” Eli offered, hoping to elicit a response. Thrawn and Armitage exchanged long looks. 

“So let me get this straight.” Armitage began again, not agreeing, much to the human’s chagrin. “You think somehow my father was able to pluck Thrawn out of hyperspace, lock him away somewhere even more secure than his cloning and weapons projects, and is using his brain to develop ways to take over the galaxy.” 

“I don’t know the man, but that sounds like standard ex Imperial fare.” 

“Damn it all. Fine, we’ll help you get your Chiss back, but under one circumstance.” 

Eli finally smiled, a thin gesture. “Anything.” 

“You get your so called advanced Chiss technology set up to finish what my father started with this one.” Gesturing to Thrawn, Armitage stated their offer. To answer an unasked query, Thrawn removed a glove, exposing raw pink flesh and bacta soaked scabs. Eli tried to hide a wince. 

“And one more thing.” Thrawn began as he replaced the glove. “We will require funds to secure a safe and comfortable life afterwards. By leaving this planet, we are abandoning our business and source of livelihood.” 

“Fine, we can do both. I don’t know enough about medical tech to help the first thing, you’d have to come back to the Ascendancy with me for that. But the second condition, I can handle.” 

“We leave in the evening, then.” Armitage finalized. “Put him in the refresher.” 

“Wait? What?” Eli tried to protest, but soon he found himself removed from the chair and locked in the narrow ‘fresher, a blanket, pillow, and ration pack tossed in behind him before the door sealed shut. He didn’t bother banging on the door, and figured he could use some sleep. Hopefully, the two men were as tired as they looked and would not be engaging in anything too loud in the next few hours. 

Frankly, Eli was just glad the rumors of a pantoran with an eye condition on Luprora proved to be fruitful. 

Indeed quite exhausted, Armitage wrapped his limbs around Thrawn under the covers, their breathing soon fading into gentle snores. 


	3. Chapter 3

Thrawn fell asleep quickly, the comfort of Armitage and his own exhaustion overwhelming his racing mind. But the sleep was restless, and he soon found himself staring at a black wall, creating more questions than answers in his mind. So, carefully, he extracted himself from his lover and made his way towards the refresher, putting a loose linen shirt on over brightly colored shorts as an afterthought. 

Opening the door, he found Eli also unable to sleep, sitting on the floor and leaning up against the wall in a tangle of the blanket. The lights dimly on, Thrawn entered, closing the door behind it and sliding down to sit on cold tile. Eli turned his head to look him over, sighing to himself. 

“So, you knew him well?” Thrawn asked softly. 

Eli nodded. “Yeah, and you are a perfect replica, all the way down to the haircut. It’s a bit unsettling to come back two decades later and see your… To see you the same as I left you.” 

“I understand.” Thrawn said, dropping his gaze. 

“As soon as you open your mouth, though.” Eli continued. “I can tell that its not him. Your accent is off, and the way you talk. It’s too direct. As much as I thought I knew Thrawn, he would always talk in circles, cryptic and abstract.” 

“Hm. You must understand, my only study material was quite sterile, reports and poised saved recordings. There was only one somewhat personal source, a journal, but even that was just strategy and commentary on battle.” 

This caught Eli’s interest for sure. “A journal? Yeah, Thrawn was real fond of those.” 

“I also hear he is fond of art.” Thrawn added with a slight chuckle. 

“What’s so funny?” Eli asked, curious. 

“After being forced to study it, I despise most visual media.” 

Eli gave an over dramatic gasp. “I suppose preferences don’t run in the genetics. What are you interested in?” 

“Poetry, to start. Armitage has shown me much of it. Words were his only escape in the past, and now bring pleasure to us both.”

A reminiscent smile crossed Eli’s lips as he gazed at no particular spot on the wall. “That’s nice. I’m glad you two found each other and were able to get somewhere better. I thank you for helping give me and Thrawn the same chance.” 

The warm moment was interrupted by scratching at the refresher door. Thrawn grinned widely as he rose to open the door. “The victorious warrior returns.” 

“What? Oh.” Eli shook his head as an orange tooka cat burst into the small space, a womp rat hanging from bloody fangs. “You know, that is exactly what he would have said.” 

Crouching down, Thawn accepted the gift, setting it aside in the sink, and pat the creature between the ears. “I used to think my only purpose was to be the perfect replica. But I have learned that individuality is a noble cause.” The tooka jumped up onto the counter, picking the womp rat up and offering it again. Thrawn took it, pretended to take a bite, and set it back down, then scooping a purring tooka into his arms. “I will admit that what you just said, that despite it all, I am merely a cone, is my greatest fear. That despite all of my choices, fate was inevitable.” 

“A few similarities mean nothing.” Eli offered. “I’m sure me and you have just as much in common.” 

Thrawn shot the man a harsher glance. “I do not think so, but I do appreciate the sentiment.” 

“Sorry.” Eli backpedaled, slumping down somewhat. 

“I do hope we are not too late. I take it you have been searching for quite some time?” 

Eli had been trying to avoid confronting the possibility that Thrawn, his Thrawn, was already dead. “Yeah, been a long road here. Glad to finally have a concrete lead, though. Even if we are late, it will be closure.” 

Thrawn nodded, the cat meowing as if part of the conversation. “This is Millicent, by the way.” 

“She seems very… content.” Eli replied, not quite ready to change topics. 

“She is a very good girl.” Thrawn cooed before setting her back down where she approached Eli, sniffing at his outstretched hand before permitting him to stroke a velvetine ear. 

“This is going to sound really strange, but can I hug you?” Eli blurted out, instantly regretting it and feeling a blush rise to his cheeks. 

“It is not a strange request seeing the circumstance.” Thrawn replied flatly, offering a hand to Eli to help the older man to his feet. 

Then, taking a deep breath, Eli stepped forward into open arms. Blue open arms. Ones that had a cool familiarity, but the embrace just was not quite right. The smell was wrong, and never had a tooka been up on its hind legs, front ones pressed on his thigh. Yet, Eli could not stop himself from crying. 

* * *

The following evening, after a quick meal, the three men made the preparations to leave. Once again packing their things into a large duffle, Armitage huffed. 

“It is not ideal, but it needs to be done.” Thrawn tried to comfort, patting Armitage’s back. 

“I know…” Armitge admitted. “Who's going to call Phasma?” Having finished her studies, Phasma had been fully enlisted into the First Order now, but kept in contact as a sort of inside man for Thrawn and Hux, just in case the Order decided to come too close to Luprora for comfort. 

“Already sent an encrypted message.” Thrawn assured his partner. “She wishes us the best of luck, and says to send her a holocard from wherever we end up.” 

“Not sure the holonet reaches all the way out where we’re going.” Eli added, leaning in the doorway as he finished his drink. “Also, are you two seriously wearing that?” 

Eli had picked his civvies carefully, a dark brown jacket laid over a white tunic and brown pants, simple and inconspicuous. Yet what the men before him had on could only be described as an adult circus. 

Armitage was not the largest offender, but no spacer would be caught dead in red leather pants that tight, or boots with so much heel for that matter. The sheerness of his top was only combatted by an asymmetrical jacket, luckily in muted dark earth tones. 

Thrawn, on the other hand, was a riot of color wearing a long well tailored tunic seemingly made of the rainbow, complete with a waist length striped capelette. Then, pure white boots rose above his knees, meeting black tights. 

“We had an eccentric image to keep up, this is what we have.” Armitage offered with a shrug, pinning some of his hair back with a gemstone studded clip. 

“You may be well known here, but once we get to Arkanis you’re just asking for trouble.” Eli contested, exasperated at the pair. 

Thrawn sighed. “I spent much of my life in nothing but a small cloth around my waist. Pardon my need for self expression.” 

“Stick to poetry…” Eli muttered as he left the two to their packing. “If you get jumped at the spaceport, I’m going to just keep walking.” Figures his only lead to Thrawn would be dealing with even larger fashion disasters than the man himself. Eli found himself smiling as he remembered Thrawn’s own disguise, a horrid poncho and bright green glasses. The irony of it all was the bulky brown fabric did not even conceal the collar of his imperial uniform. 

“At least my contact will be able to spot us.” Eli lamented as the pair joined him in the living space. He had half a mind to remind Armitage to watch his head as they left the apartment, the already tall man now lifted an extra four inches. 

Thrawn lowered a reflective visor over his eyes, partly to protect his sensitive vision against the sun, and partly to disguise his red eyes. “We can trust this contact of yours?” He pressed. 

“Yeah, Brierly has proved himself to be a good asset to have, the ascendancy has a way of putting things into perspective. And trust me, if anyone hates the First Order, its him.” 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional Warnings for: Minor Character Death, Unconsented Past/Mentioned Body Modification, dub con, and mention of Blood/Gore.  
> This Chapter is going to be intense, but after here its onto the much needed fluff.  
> Very minor Treason spoiler regarding Ronan ahead.

“The specimens have been defrosted per your request.” The man droned, the slowly flashing light of his cybernetic implants catching Brendol’s eye as he looked up from his datapad. 

“Thank you, T-2. Please return to security protocol now.”

“As you wish sir.” 

Watching his creation leave his study, Brendol could not help but smile wryly at the success of his operation, metal panels visible sticking out of his back against a sheer gown. This clone may not have been a complete success like their successors, but there were other benefits to be made from keeping him around. Ways to augment the imperfections through experimentation. “Oh, and before you leave.” 

T-2 paused in the doorway, turning back around to face his master at full attention. 

“Sent T-4 up, I’m ready for my lunch.” 

Putting away his work, Brendol dismissed his assistant and stretched out, his muscles tight from hunching over a desk all morning. He was looking forward to some relief, and soon a tall form peered in at him from the doorway. Glowing red eyes were all that stood out in their dark silhouette. 

“Sir?” 

“Come in, T-4. And set that tray down there, I want you on the table.” 

Obeying the order, T-4 set the tray of sandwiches and beverages on a small table by the door. Then, after a few steps, he hoisted himself onto the solid wood desk that sat in the center of Brendol’s study. Legs crossed before him, he faced Brendol who reached out to cup his cheek, thumb tracing a sharp, jutting cheekbone. T-4 shuddered at the delicate contact, leaning into the touch. 

“Take off your shirt.” Brendol ordered, removing his hand and resting it on T-4’s thigh. The younger Chiss did as asked, putting a strong physique on display. “Very good. Now come forward.” 

T-4 leaned towards Brendol, urged on by a large hand at the back of his head, twining into the short hairs. Then, their lips met in a hungry kiss, Brendol biting and thrusting his tongue forward as T-4 reciprocated, moaning in a low tone. 

“Touch me, please.” T-4 begged, spreading his legs to reveal a straining bulge pressing against his tight pants. 

“Very bold of you to make demands, my creation.” Brendol muttered, but also complied, taking a hold of an erect shaft through the thin material. T-4 truly was his crowning achievement, a complete and unflawed clone with no need for augmentation, however Brendol could not help himself from making a few proven enhancements. Just a stunning specimen, who also happened to be just right for serving more needs than just tactical study. With Snoke becoming more of a threat to his position, Brendol was sure to take full advantage of the being. 

Releasing the fly of the pants, Brendol drew out a purple flushed member, nearly identical to a human’s aside from intricate curved ridging along the length. It had taken five tries to perfect it, and Brendol decided very quickly that it was well worth the effort to duplicate his template so thoroughly. 

Speaking of template, Brendol idly wondered whatever became of his first attempt as he stroked the writhing man before him. There had been many flaws with that one, hands and feet being paramount, but that also allowed Brendol to keep him under lower supervision than his current creations. He stroked the metal collar around T-4’s neck, tugging on it to fold him down. At the moment the collar was harmless, and a rather attractive accessory, Brendol thought, but should any of his clones escape, it would inject a near instantly lethal poison into them, one that would corrode any evidence in a matter of seconds. 

Knowing what was expected of them, T-4 exhaled and relaxed himself, allowing the extra vertebrae in his back to enhance the bend of his spine so that his lips could wrap around his own member. 

Unable to resist, Brendol took out his own member as he took in the sight, stroking himself as T-4 sucked and bobbed on his cock. “That’s right… Just like that. Come for me.” 

Scrotum tightening, T-4 did just that, pale pink spunk soon oozing from under the member’s ridges and spilling from his lips. Roughly grabbing the back of T-4’s head, Brendol brought those cool, wet lips over to his own groin as he rose from his chair. “Do it again for me, now.” 

“Of course…” T-4 murmurred excitedly, parting his lips to accept Brendol’s stout cock. 

Before he could be brought to orgasm, however, T-2 reappeared in the doorway. “Sir, there is someone here to see you.” The clone droned. 

“Tell them to wait!” Brendol barked out, pushing himself in to the hilt, T-4’s nose buried in dense orange pubic hair and sharp musk. 

“They claim to know about your son, sir.” 

Brendol huffed. “My son is dead!” 

Yet, T-2 pressed the topic. “There is compelling evidence.” 

“Fine.” Shoving T-4 off his cock, the clone whined a bit, sprawled out on the desk. “You, don’t move. I’ll be back to finish soon.” 

Fastening his pants, Brendol made his way to the front of the house, answering the door with an annoyed, “What?” 

A well trimmed man, armed with a datapad, imperial accent, and flowing white cape greeted him. “You’re going to want to see this, sir.” 

“And you are?” 

“Brierly Ronan, at your service.” 

Now this certainly peaked Brendol’s interest. Last he recalled, Brierly Ronan was the assistant director to that madman Orson Krennic. Much like his son, Ronan was announced dead some time ago. 

“What do you have?” 

* * *

“Alright, he’s distracted.” Armitage whispered, turning to Thrawn and Eli, all wearing dark black clothing to hide in the darkness as best as they could. “Just like we said, I’ll get us in the back door and then the hunt begins.” 

“How long do you think we’ll have, again?” Thrawn asked as they crept through the back yard.

“Knowing Brierly, at least an hour.” Eli commented. “The man really does have a way with words.” And fashion, Eli thought to himself, recalling the nearly blinding meeting they had made in the Arkanis spaceport, the man rivaling Thrawn in his exuberant wardrobe. Luckily, he had packed something more appropriate for approaching General Brendol Hux. 

“Then let’s not waste any of the time we have.” Armitage commented, already working at the rear entrance lock. Soon, it opened with a click. “Father really ought to change these outside codes with as much frequency as he did the inside.” 

“Well it’s a good thing he didn’t.” Eli commented. As they crossed the threshold into the home, he could see Armitage and Thrawn visibly tense. Then, they froze. 

“Halt” An all too familiar voice called out, although somehow less expressive than Thrawn’s own cool tone. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Armitage muttered. Eli, acting fast, attempted to stun the clone with a shot from his blaster. But, the Chiss dodged, diving to the side and raising his fists as he approached. 

“Intruder!” The clone called out, and as it got closer Armitage winced at the extensive cybernetics dominating half of his head. 

“We’re here to save you!” Thrawn tried to reason, holding his arms up to indicate that he too was unarmed, but the clone would not listen, tackling the Chiss. 

It became a flurry of blue limbs as they scuffled on the floor. Aided by cybernetics, the clone pinned Thrawn down, but he was outnumbered and Eli’s second shot hit square in the back of his neck, the clone collapsing. 

Armitage stared at the aftermath, still processing the fact that his father created another clone, but then his attention was taken elsewhere as he heard footfalls. “Down the hall!” He called out, following the sound as Thrawn pushed off the limp body, rising to his feet. 

“Watch this one!” He told Eli before bolting off after Armitage. 

“Sure thing, I’ll watch the crazy android man a foot taller than me, you got it…” Eli muttered as he dragged the Chiss over to the side of the room, hiding him from direct sight of the hall. Looking over the body, the sheer gown he wore leaving little to the imagination, sure enough this was yet another perfect replica of Thrawn. Because of this, the cybernetics were incredibly unnerving. Further, a metal collar adorned his neck, and as Eli looked it over, he realized just what it was and set to work picking it open with his multitool. 

If they wanted to get the clone, and whatever else they may find, out of here, they would need to remove these collars. 

Meanwhile, Thrawn and Armitage found themselves in silence, the footsteps leading them to the doors of the turbolift. “Back to the basement, huh.” Armitage mused. “You ready?” 

Thrawn nodded. “Yeah, I’m ready.” With a deep breath, he called the lift. And when the doors opened, they entered. 

The basement was just as they left it, Armitage thought, save for the weapons room, which seemed to be sealed off now. Making their way to the secret laboratory, they heard more moving, something trying to hide perhaps. But, there was more. The first thing to catch Armitage’s attention was floating in the cloning chamber, a very incomplete clone lifelessly drifting in the tube. It was a child, looking to be only five years of age, an umbilical connecting them to a mechanical life source within the chamber. 

This was the least of the horrors. Splayed out on the metal table was a clone identical to the first, but rather than having the cybernetics, the entire midsection of their back was replaced with grafted pink flesh that traveled the length of his spine. Then, at the tailbone, the flesh continued, forming a long tail from what appeared to be a larger version of one of Thrawn’s tentacles, even ending with a blunt tapered tip. Thrawn inhaled sharply, approaching the hopefully unconscious clone. 

“What did he do to you…” Thrawn murmured, unsure if he should touch them. Armitage took it all in, but continued looking for the source of the sound, finally spying a being crouching in the corner, wrapping their arms around their legs to cover their form, nude aside from a metal collar. Armitge approached slowly. “Hey, I’m not going to hurt you. We just want to help.” 

“Don’t touch T-4!” Thrawn called out. Or at least, what sounded like Thrawn. Thrawn jolted as the clone on the table suddenly lifted his head, pushing up with his arms. His tail swayed in the air as if it could read the energy in the room. Armitage stopped moving, but continued to observe this clone, T-4, who looked to be a bit younger than the first two they encountered earlier. 

“You’re the first, aren’t you. The traitor.” The tailed clone accused, sliding off the table and brandishing a scalpel from the table. 

“I freed myself, as I can free you.” Thrawn replied softly. “What if your name.” 

“T-3…” The clone replied, backing himself up to a shelving unit where several jars rattled. Jars, Thrawn realized with a lurch of his stomach, filled with tentacles of various sizes. He also saw that T-3 did not share his slit, rather there was a clump of wet bandage, red blood leaking through the white gauze, dripping down his legs with each step. 

“Are you in pain?” Thrawn asked. “I know I was…” 

“You were?” T-3 seemed to consider Thrawn’s words, but then shook his head violently. “You stop that! Shut up!” 

Rather than speak, Thrawn opened his pants, tracing the scarring around his pouch. T-4 gasped, rising to his feet to try and bolt around a distracted Armitage. But, reflexes quick, Armitage grabbed T-4 in his arms, pressing his back against him. Thawn caught a glimpse of an unaltered member before T-3 throttled him, jabbing at his chest with the scalpel. 

“Stop it! You’ll kill him!” T-4 screamed, fighting against Armitage towards the fray. 

“He’s not our friend!” T-3 retorted, but his efforts soon slowed as the bandage fell from his groin and a recently severed stub of a member was revealed.

“Neither is Brendol.” Thrawn added as he caught his breath, but made no move to disarm the clone. The anger and frustration in T-3’s eyes gave way to something sadder, and his lip quivered. 

“He’s all we’ve ever known…” 

“You can get to know us.” Armitage offered. T-4 stopped struggling, so Armitage released his grip. 

T-3 lost the will to do anything more than twine himself with Thrawn, pressing his face against his neck and wrapping his tail around his ankle. “I’m so sorry…” 

“It’s alright.” Thrawn comforted him, holding him close in return. 

“B-brendol never hurts me…” T-4 whispered, looking away from the two chiss on the floor. 

“That does not mean he never will.” Armitage replied softly, remembering the sting of the many beatings he’d endured. “I promise that where we are going, you will never have to worry about being hurt like this.” 

“Can T-5 come as well?” T-3 asked, turning around to look up at Armitage who realized he was speaking of the child in the cloning chamber.

“Of course he can. Let’s get out of here.” 

* * *

Eli, knowing the stun from his blaster would last at least four hours, quickly grew restless once he had removed the collar from the Chiss’s neck. Looking around the sterile room, he could not imagine the agony and loneliness Armitage had endured here for the greater portion of his life. The house was large, sure, but there was hardly a touch of personality to be found. Thus, there was nothing to occupy his attention and Eli found himself tracing Thrawn and Armitage’s steps as he had heard them. 

Taking the turbolift down, his interest was focused on what appeared to be a sealed door, but upon closer examination he found that there were seams in the weld lines, and after much pushing, prodding, and kicking the door slid open with a groan. He was not sure what he expected on the other side, but a completely empty room was not it. 

Rather suspicious for nothing to be sealed away, Eli thought as he examined the perimeter, and soon enough he found a hidden handle, pressing on a square panel in the wall to release it. Turning the handle he opened a secret door through which he stepped, only to be greeted with sheer darkness and a foul stench. Metal dragged along the floor and Eli stepped back reflexively, just in time to dodge the swiping of talon-like nails. Whatever was trapped in this room hissed, a guttural sound, and then Eli saw it. 

Strained against chains binding their wrists and neck was a Chiss, overgrown and knotted hair hanging over aged features. Their expression was determined yet furious, but as Eli stared back with an open mouth, the being softened. “Eli?” They croaked. 

“It’s really you…” Eli choked out, already feeling his eyes water again. Nearly tackling the Chiss, Eli ran into their arms, not caring about anything but being close to them after so many years. 

“Why are you here?” Thrawn asked softly, having expected Eli to remain safely far, far away in the Ascendancy. 

Eli shook his head. Explanations later. Wanting to hold Thrawn forever, Eli knew they would need to leave this hell hole of a home to achieve that dream so he reluctantly pulled back after nearly a minute. “We have to get out of here, then we can catch up.” 

Reaching for his multitool, Eli freed Thrawn, the true and original one, and brought him staggering out of the cell. A cry from across the basement sent them both bolting out into the hall. Eli moved to go towards the lab, but Thrawn held him back, his strength still impressive despite being much thinner than Eli remembered. In a daze, Eli stayed put. With his mind swirling so, he had no idea how much time passed before Armitage and the Thrawn clone emerged with… Three more clones, one merely a child held in the largest clone’s arms, a pink tail swaying behind him. 

“There are three of them…” Eli stated under his breath, noticing all but the child had collars. “Come here, we need to get those collars off…” 

Working quickly as the lift was called, by the time the group rejoined the unconscious clone, all the collars were removed. 

“Sir, you have got to believe me!” They heard Ronan call out, to which Brendol replied. 

“I will do nothing of the sort, and if I see you on this property again you truly will be reported dead!” 

“That’s our cue.” Armitage whispered as everyone rushed for the door. He could swear he heard his father’s approach as the door was quietly shut behind them and the group bolted across the lawn. And surely enough, alongside Eli was none other than what had to be the original himself, in rough shape but alive. 

It was nearly too much to manage, but a gentle touch from Thrawn, his Thrawn, kept him focused on the task ahead, disappearing into the woods and leaving this place for good this time. Now there was truly nothing left for them here. 

Freedom was mere feet away, but there would still be much to sort after sorting themselves. 

Now it was inches, the first growth of the woods starting to sprout around their ankles. But then, a sharp whizzing sound whipped past his head, scorching the base of the tree before him. 

“He sees us!” Armitage shouted out, but it was too late. Daring to glance back, he saw his father brandishing a large blaster rifle on the lawn, firing at the group. 

“Just keep running!” Eli cried out, but his words were pierced by a scream. T-4 was the first to be shot, the specialized rifle blasting a hole straight through the clone and sending it down. 

“Leave him!” Thrawn urged, grabbing T-3’s forearm with the arm not carrying the cybernetic clone, T-2, but the fellow clone refused to budge, letting out a primal wail. “We can’t save him!” 

In his anguish, T-3 did not realize that his tail began to glow as he clutched T-5 close. Thrawn dragged him along, but the poor clone would not cooperate. Eli took his other arm as Thrawn lurched forward, the body falling from his shoulder from the strength of the shot. By some miracle for the clone, T-2 absorbed the lethal power, leaving Thrawn only having burnt clothes and some singed hairs. 

Ditching the second body among the chaos, everyone linked to one another as they ran. Then, a second miracle seemed to happen as, when T-3 let out a scream they seemed to blip half way through the forest, the shock of the jump sending all of them tumbling to the forest floor. 

His tail vibrating, T-3 did not stand back up, but was still breathing slowly. 

“Whatever he just did saved our asses…” Armitage commented as Eli stammered about the impossible fact that he thinks they just microjumped through the forest. 

“So it is purgill.” Thrawn contemplated at Armitage’s side, looking down. 

As the group recuperated, a crunching and dragging sound brought them all to attention. Eli drew his blaster, and Armitage took over holding the unconscious T-5 as the original Thrawn propped T-3 against a tree. 

“It’s just me! Hold your fire!” Ronan called out, dragging the mangled bodies of T-2 and T-4 behind him. “Thought we were going to take it all with us?” 

Lowering his blasted, Eli exhaled loudly. “Yeah, right, kind of hard to do that with that freak shooting at us. 

“Well, he got bored and went inside to call for reinforcement so we better scram.” 

After taking a moment to sort who would carry who, the group set off towards Ronan’s hidden landspeeder, piling in tightly as he pulled away towards the nearest town. “We’ll probably want to head past the first spaceport, just in case.” Ronan offered, to which everyone agreed. “Going to be a long night, so hold on tight.” 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW for imprisonment/starvation/poor treatment of our Chiss... Brendol is going to get his just desserts soon I swear!

Long night was an understatement as the First Order flooded Arkanis in full force. A landspeeder piled high with unconscious aliens was already suspicious enough, but with the roads crowded by stormtroopers and checkpoints, the difficulty of travel increased significantly. 

“Think your friend there could jump us out of here?” Brierly asked nervously as he slid the speeder down yet another side alley. 

Crammed in the backseat with the other Chiss, Eli shook his head. “Seeing that he’s out cold, no I don’t think so. 

“Keep traveling along the perimeter of the city.” Armitage suggested from his perch on Thrawn’s lap in the copilots seat. “We might have luck stopping at the seediest cantina you can find, hire a ride that knows how to dodge all this foolishness.” 

“I thought you said Brendol would want to keep all of us under wraps.” Thrawn added with a sigh. 

“I suppose he does not want to make the same mistake twice, plus we have his prized original.” Armitage concluded. 

_ Some prize,  _ Eli thought bitterly, enveloping Thrawn’s frail form in his arms. There, Thrawn pressed up against Eli, never wanting the contact to end after being away for so long. He took a deep breath, feeling how his throat expand without obstruction, filling his lungs with the midnight air. Despite everything going on around them, he felt himself lulled into a deep sleep, where his dreams haunted him even after escape. 

He was back in that terrible, pitch black cell. Thrawn had tried his best to keep things cleanly, but it was impossible when all you had was a stone floor and scrap of fabric around your waist. His shirt had been ripped away long ago, and pants worn threadbare over.. It had been years he was sure. Ezra had escaped, carried away by the very Purrgil that had nearly crushed Thrawn’s ribs and destroyed his fleet. Left crashed on a deserted moon, with nothing more than insects and pockets of underground water supply, Thrawn had little hope of ever repairing the ship enough to escape. 

Any ship really, the Purrgil has been extremely thorough in their ravaging of the Chimaera, wrecking every shuttle and TIE fighter beyond recognition, leaving only mangled metal in their wake. For some time Thrawn had worked on designing a new transport from the wreckage, but it was long and tedious work with many substitutes for essential parts. 

In short, the effort was hopeless, but Thrawn refused to surrender. He could not surrender. He needed to return to the Chiss Ascendancy, his home, to his… 

Just thinking about it made Thrawn’s heart seize, but it was the thought most keeping him driven to strive even in impossible circumstances. He wished to one day reunite with Eli, his beloved. To hold him again in his arms, pick him up into an embrace and kiss every inch of his gorgeous tan skin and lavish him inside and out. 

To do so much more. 

To spend their lives together. 

So, when the shuttle landed on Thrawn’s prison-moon, one that seemed like a newer version of a Lambda shuttle, Thrawn could not help but hope for the best. 

Instead, the man who greeted him, stout with a shock of over processed red hair atop his head, ordered his capture. Brendol Hux was his name, and he considered Thrawn to be the ultimate weapon. A mastermind who could turn the tide of any battle, pull victory from dust, assess an enemy without ever meeting them. 

Organic perfection, he had called the Chiss. Thrawn had expected another tenure of service, and resigned himself to such a life. Word would travel back to the Ascendancy, and whatever happened from there would be the will of the Galaxy. 

However, Brendol decided to keep Thrawn his own secret, killing the entire shuttle crew one by one upon arrival at Arkanis. Thrawn never had the chance to fight, kept in a drugged haze as Brendol experimented on his body. He’d awaken strapped to a metal table, feeding tube uncomfortably shoved down his throat, only to be put back under minutes later never given a chance to process anything.

When Thrawn eventually was permitted wakefulness, he found himself in that dark room, collar tight around his neck and chained to the wall. He had no way of tracking time aside from a gnawing hunger, and it seemed only when he slept would a meager ration be delivered, left on the floor by what he presumed was a hidden door as it was the opposite side of the room from where the chain was mounted. 

Exactly 300 feedings later, Brendol revealed himself again, the door opening suddenly and flooding the space with intense bright light. It should have stunned Thrawn, but Thrawn was not just any being and he pounced, wrapping the chain around Brendol’s neck and pulling tight, aiming for the kill. His sharp nails dug into soft pale flesh, and the human gagged on closing airways. Thrawn bit at him, drawing blood from the edge of his ear. It tasted like the sweetest Csillan winterplum wine.

Unfortunately for Thrawn, the light had blinded him partially and he’d not noticed the shock prod in Brendol’s hand, which now was connecting with his left ribs and stabbing through the skin. Gasping for air, Brendol broke away and slammed the door shut. Thrawn didn’t eat for many days, or at least he figured as much as he grew dizzy from starvation. 

Right when he thought it might truly be the end, Thrawn woke up to a half rotten piece of fruit barely in reach. The chain had been shortened to half the number of links, and his wrists were also bound. 

Opening the door again, Brendol lurked in the doorway, “Look at you, a once great, no,  _ grand  _ admiral, eating waste. Pathetic.” 

Only when the door shut again did Thrawn permit himself a loud, challenging hiss in the direction of where Brendol once stood. Such began the new normal, disgusting ratings provided sporadically at best, only interluded by hazy periods strapped to that metal table, always returned with strange new pains and hairline scars. Thrawn could only assume Brendol was extracting genetic material, studying the Chiss species. 

Part of him considered refusing the food, and once he did after a round mark appeared on his temple. Brendol was trying to unlock the secrets of his mind, and Thrawn could not permit that. But, all that this led to was the table and feeding tube, which was much worse when not drugged. Especially when Brendol went ahead with his procedures with Thrawn wide awake. 

Despite it all, Thrawn fought. He thrashed against the restraints, lunged at his captor, picked at the cuff’s lock with overgrown fingernails. But nothing worked. There was no angle to work, no advantage to capture, only loneliness and pain and regrets. 

However, there was one thing he could do. By struggling and resisting and refusing food, he spent enough time on that table to collect information. Learn what Brendol was studying, some of his plans, and how he was storing information. 

“Stop the vehicle.” Thrawn called out, sitting up and nearly hitting Eli’s chin with his head in the process. 

“Shh… We’re almost there.” Eli whispered, and Thrawn realized the landspeeder was picking his way through dense woods. 

“No, we can’t leave.” Thrawn protested, gripping Eli’s shoulders and staring into warm brown eyes that felt like home and hope. “Brendol still has my genetic material, and even if we destroy the lab he has notes saved in five sectors. We have to kill him.” 

“Little late for that,” Ronan responded from the driver’s seat. “We’re halfway across the district.”

“Brendol will expect this, for us to run. He won’t expect an assault.” Thrawn argued.

Armitage sighed softly, knowing Thrawn had a point. “True, but we have no weapons.” 

From beneath him, the original Thrawn clone spoke up as well, turning back to face the others. “We do have something…” 

Eli followed the clone’s line of sight to T3, who seemed to recognize that he was being watched as his eyes blinked open. The clone had micro jumped them through the woods, could he get them next to Brendol? It would have to be precise, given any moment to respond Brendol could gain an upper hand. He certainly had firepower on his side, after all. 

In fact, he could potentially jump them all back to the house much quicker than the speeder… No, he could only jump short distances.

As the woods cleared, Eli got an idea as he looked at the large landing field on the other side of a meager security fence. Ronan stopped the vehicle still inside the tree line, as the fence may have been weak but the show of force was strong. 

Several dozen troopers patrolled the tarmac, and sentries were posted on hastily erected towers with anti-aircraft cannons perched on spindly supports. 

It was a plan that, if it failed, they’d plummet right into enemy hands, but if successful could not only grant them escape, but also fulfill Thrawn's wish as well. The only problem was that, to conserve T3’s energy, only the bare minimal amount of people could go. 

“T3 will jump two of us into an already aloft shuttle. An older model without a droid pilot. We knock the pilot out and take over an already permitted to fly craft and go back to Brendol’s. One person stays behind to keep the ship aloft while T3 blinks them in and right back out after delivering the killing blow.” Eli explained to the group quietly. 

Of course Thrawn wanted to go, finally exact his revenge on Brendol, but he recognized that he was no longer in his prime, made especially apparent by the clone of him, a perfect replica of the formidable man he once was. So, after some deliberation, the team was decided. 

It would be Armitage on point and Eli would be the pilot. 

“Are you sure you want to do this, he is your father?” Eli asked the taller man, to which Armitage’s face hardened. 

“He is not my father, not after what he’s done. How he’s treated me, all of you, as pawns in his sick game.” Armitage responded, squeezing the handle of Ronan’s blaster. Surprisingly enough, they had deducted that the man’s weapon would be best suited for the job. Small, but efficient and with more juice than some of the larger ones the others carried. Obviously a very expensive item that Ronan was hesitant to hand over, but acquiesced without too much argument. 

“Don’t lose it, ok.” He said finally, which Eli interpreted as him wishing them a successful mission. 

“Wait.” The Thrawn clone interrupted, pulling Armitage aside.

“Yes?” Armitage asked, firm voice suddenly lost. 

“I can’t let you do this. Even if he’s not your father, you’ve never killed.” 

“I got the nanny droid, didn’t I?” 

“That’s different.” 

Armitage sighed. “You’ve not killed either.” When Thrawn looked away rather than replying, Armitage cupped his cheek in his hand, pulling his face back to look at him. “Have you?” 

As a shuttle matching their needs roared to life not far away, ElI interrupted the pair. “One of you needs to come, it's almost time.” 

Taking the blaster from Armitage, Thrawn kissed him on the cheek, “I’ll see you later, and tell you everything. I promise.” 

Unable to argue further, Armitage let him go. “We’ll honor the bodies while you are away. Bury them. If you want.” 

Thrawn smiled appreciatively. “I’d like that, thank you.” 

“You ready?” Eli asked T3 next, watching the shuttle go through pre flight procedures. 

The younger clone nodded, tail wagging slowly in anticipation as he nodded, looking a bit nervous but also determined. 

Eli would take what he could get and held out his hand. “Then let’s go.” 

T3 squeezed Eli’s palm with one hand, and Thrawn’s with another, preparing for something he’s only done once before. But somehow, it felt like an instinct, like the long now glowing tentacle knew exactly what to do from some sort of muscle memory. 

The glowing rings along the pink length began to flash as the shuttle rose to the sky. It was time. 

“WAIT!” T5 screamed, running for the trio and grabbing T3’s leg right as they jumped. Four beings landed in the very back of the shuttle, considering themselves lucky to only be surrounded by cargo. Winded, but not to the point of fainting, T3 sat down onto the floor, breathing deeply. 

Thrawn slapped a hand over T5’s mouth, holding the child against his chest in a squatting position as Eli, blaster in hand, made his way to the cockpit. The pilots, not suspecting a thing, went down easy with a stun bolt to their backs. Shoving one out of his seat, Eli assumed control of the shuttle and turned towards Brendol’s home, hoping his plan would work. 

They’d gotten this far, haven’t they? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The biggest thank you to Keto for drawing some incredible, heartbreaking in the best way art for this story, you can see it on their blog [Strength-through-order at this link!](https://strength-through-order.tumblr.com/post/622597234237816832/its-sad-thranto-hours-uvu-a-thing-for)


End file.
